The tension between NBA generations has been building for years, but Tracy McGrady believes the real reason behind it isn’t the style of play or toughness: Money.
Speaking on the topic on the Nightcap podcast, McGrady didn’t overcomplicate it:
“It’s money, It’s money bro. Did you realize like in the 90s, Reggie Miller and Michael, they were only making $2-3 million? And they were the top guys I don’t think anybody making $2-3 million dollars in the league right now. These guys making so much money.”
“It’s the money and how the league has really catered to the players. They made the league soft for these guys, trying to cut the 82 games now. Trying to from 82 to 72. I think it’s just all the other stuff of babying and coddling the players when they making all this money. It has to be that the players got so much.”
In 1991, the average NBA salary sat at roughly $870,000. The minimum salary during the 1990 to 1991 season ranged between $100,000 and $130,000. At the top end, Larry Bird led the league at around $7 million, which was considered massive at the time.
Fast forward to today, and the scale is completely different. The average NBA salary is now close to $11.9 million, and even the lowest entry point has jumped significantly. The rookie minimum for the 2025-2026 season is projected at $1,272,870, which already exceeds what many established players earned decades ago.
At the very top, Stephen Curry is making close to $59 million in a single season, nearly eight times what Bird earned as the highest-paid player in 1991. Along with that, several other stars are making over $50 million easily, and that number will keep rising every year.
That shift is what McGrady is pointing to. The league’s financial growth, driven by global expansion, media deals, and stronger player representation, has changed how players are valued. But with that growth came a change in perception.
Older players look at today’s salaries and see a league where even rotation players earn more than stars from their era. That alone creates tension, especially when combined with how the modern game is structured.
McGrady also touched on how the league now caters more to players. There is more control over contracts, more flexibility with movement, and more emphasis on preserving players through rest and load management. For players who came through an era with stricter expectations and less financial reward, that difference stands out.
It feeds into the narrative that the modern game is easier, even if the skill level and athletic demands have evolved in different ways.
McGrady’s point simplifies a debate that often gets overcomplicated. The conversations about toughness, style, or competitiveness often circle back to the same underlying factor. Money changed everything. And as long as the financial gap between eras remains this wide, the criticism from older players is unlikely to disappear.
